Foam generator for scrubbing devices



Sept. 23, 1969 M. W. HELM 3,467,977

FOAM GENERATOR FOR SCRUBBING DEVICES Filed Dec. 28, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet l 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M- W. HELM FOAM GENERATOR FOR SCRUBBING DEVICES a w E. 1 u:

Sept. 23, 1969 Filed Dec. 28, 1964 Sept. 23, 1969 M. w. HELM FOAM GENERATOR FOR SCRUBBING DEVICES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 28, 1964 Sept. 23, 1969 M. w. HELM 3,467,977

FOAM GENERATOR FOR SCRUBBING DEVICES Filed Dec. 28, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 68 w L 1 F79 /Zo F737. /2

United States Patent "ice 3,467,977 FOAM GENERATOR FOR SCRUBBING DEVICES Mark W. Helm, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 421,321 Int. Cl. A471 13/00 US. C]. 15-29 7 Claims This application relates to foam generating means for power driven scrubbing devices or the like. Such devices are conventional and include a motor driving a rotatable shaft having a brush or other scrubbing means mounted thereon. Such devices also include some means for supplying detergent solution to the brush or to the surface being cleaned. When solution is fed directly onto a rug or upholstered furniture the surface is often unnecessarily saturated. In addition, the action of the brush on the rug or fabric must then be used to create suds and much of the solution has already soaked into the fabric so that it is not available to form suds and float the dirt free. When cleaning walls with such power driven devices it is difiicult to apply the solution to the wall surface, and even then it tends to run down and form streaks. If the detergent solution is made into foam or suds before it is applied to the surface being cleaned very beneficial results are obtained. Foam has a tendency to adhere to walls and does not readily run down to form streaks. On any surface being cleaned the user can readily tell how much solution is being applied because the foam is highly visible as distinguished from a clear liquid detergent solution which is difficult to see on some surfaces.

Therefore, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a foam generating means on power driven scrubbing devices or the like so that only foam is disposed from the device onto the surface being cleaned.

It is another object of this invention to provide scrubbing devices with a foam generating means which is very simple in operation and highly effective for its intended purpose.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a shampooing and scrubbing device having the features of the present invention embodied therein.

FIGURE 2. is a side elevational view of a shampooing and scrubbing device with portions cut away for clarity.

FIGURE 3 is a top view of a shampooing and scrubbing device with the top cover removed for clarity.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view taken in the direction of arrows 55 of FIGURE 4 and showing the pump control out of operative position.

FIGURE 5a is a partial bottom plan view taken in the direction of arrows 5--5 of FIGURE 4 and showing the pump control in operative position.

FIGURE 6 is a view taken in the direction of arrows 66 of FIGURE 4- with portions cut away for clarity.

FIGURE 7 is a view taken in the direction of arrows 77 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view showing the separable coupling drive between the brush back and the pump rotor.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view showing the check valve of the present invention.

FIGURE 10 is a top plan view showing the check valve in place.

FIGURE 11 is a side view showing the check valve in place.

FIGURE 12 is a sectional view taken in the direction 3,467,977 Patented Sept. 23, 1969 of arrows 12-12 of FIGURE 10 and showing the valve in closed position.

FIGURE 12a is a sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 1212 of FIGURE 10 and showing the valve in open position.

FIGURE 13 is a partial sectional View showing an alternative type of foam generating means made in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 14 is a top plan view of the brush used with the foam generator of FIGURE 13.

Referring now to the drawing FIGURE 1 shows a shampooing and scrubbing tool 1 having the features of the present invention embodied therein. The tool has a power cord 2 connected thereto and a liquid supply tube 3 leading to a supply receptacle 4. Tube 3 is of elastomeric material such as rubber or vinyl composition or the like. The shampooing and scrubbing device of the present invention has upper and lower casing sections 5 and 6 which are secured together 'by screws 7 and 8. All of the operative elements of the device are mounted in or on lower casing section 6 and upper casing section 5 merely serves as a cover. A combined motor and motor supporting frame 9 is secured to the inside of lower casing section 6 by screws 10 and 11 which are threaded into bored projections as at 12 in FIGURE 2 extending upward from the bottom of lower casing section 6. The motor armature shaft projects forwardly of combined motor and motor mounting frame 9, and has worm gear threads formed thereon to define a worm gear 13. The motor supporting frame has a vertically bored cylindrical enlargement 14 formed thereon for receiving a worm Wheel gear mounting shaft 15 with a press fit. Worm wheel gear 16 is mounted on sleeve bearing 17 on shaft 15 and is held thereon by a lock washer 18. Gear 16 is driven by worm gear 13 and lower gear portion 19 of worm wheel gear 16 meshes with gear 20 on brush shaft 21. Brush shaft 21 and sleeve bearing 22 are received in a bored projection 23 extending upwardly from the bottom of lower casing section 6. The bottom end of worm wheel gear mounting shaft 15 extends through enlargement 14 on the motor supporting frame and is received in a recess formed in projection 24 extending upwardly from lower casing section 6. This arrangement accurately positions lower portion 19 of worm wheel gear 16 in proper meshing engagement with brush shaft gear 20.

In the front part of lower casing section 6 a switch 25 is secured as by screws 96 and 27 which are threaded into recessed projections extending upwardly from lower casing section 6. Only one of the projections is shown at 28 in FIGURE 2. Switch 25 has a slide button 26 which is received in a notch formed in the bottom edge of switch actuating rod 29. Rod 29 extends completely across lower casing section 6 as shown in FIGURE 3 and has its ends projecting through suitable holes formed in the sidewalls of lower casing section 6. Pushing axially on one end or the other of rod 29 with the thumb or finger moves the rod axially and in turn moves slide button 26 of switch 25 to activate or deactivate the motor.

Mounted on the rear end of the motor armature shaft is a cooling air fan 30 which pulls air through opening 31 in the bottom of lower casing section 6 and exhausts it through slots (not shown) in the rear of top casing section 5. Member 32 is secured to the outside bottom of lower casing section 6 by screw 33 to hide opening 31, and to cover the power cord 2 and liquid supply tube 3 where they extend along the exterior of lower casing section 6. Slots as at 34 and 35 in member 32 permit air to enter opening 31.

As shown in FIGURES 3-5 the front outside bottom of lower casing section 6 is circular in plan and has a flange 36 depending therefrom to define a pump receiving space 37. A pump rotor 38 is received on shaft 21 in space 37. Rotor 38 is freely rotatable on shaft 21, and has rollers 39, 40, and 41 rotatably mounted on pins on the periphery of rotor 38. Liquid supply tube 3 enters space 37 through an opening in flange 36 and is trained through a channel defined by walls 42 and 43 projecting into space 37 from casing section 6. Tube 3 is then trained around rotor 38, past an abutment 44 and beneath a clamping member 45 which is secured to casing section 6 by a screw. Clamping member 45 holds tube 3 against axial movement but does not collapse the tube closed. An arcuate member 46 is pivotally mounted on projection 47 in space 37 for movement toward and away from rotor 38. A coil spring 48 is trapped between arcuate member 46 and a channeled recess 49 for biasing member 46 toward rotor 38. A rod 50 inside of spring 48 prevents the spring from bowing sideways. A U-shaped member 51 has one end received in a hole in arcuate member 46 and the other end received in a notch in lateral extension 52 on finger lever shaft 53. Shaft 53 is rotatably mounted in a vertical bore through casing section 6 as shown in FIGURE 4 and a finger lever 54 is fixed on the top end of shaft 53. A flat arm member 55 is also secured to shaft 53 below finger lever 54 and projects through a slot 56 in casing section 6. A coil spring 57 is secured to arm 55 and to a post 58 on casing section 6 as shown in FIGURE 2. The pulling force of spring 57 on arm 55 exerts a clockwise moment on shaft 53 as viewed in FIGURE 5. The moment is transmitted through extension 52 and member 51 to arcuate member 46. The force of spring 57 is greater than that of spring 48 so that spring 57 normally holds arcuate member 46 away from rotor 38 in a position as shown in FIGURE 5. When finger lever 54 is rotated by pressing on it with a finger the force of spring 57 is overcome and shaft 53 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE a. This frees spring 48 to force arcuate member 46 toward rotor 38 and compresses tube 3 between arcuate member 46 and rollers 39-41 on rotor 38. Thus, operation of the pump is started and stopped simply by pushing and releasing finger lever 54. It is to be noted that the force applied to finger lever 54 by the operator is not transmitted directly to arcuate member 46. This prevents undue wear and damage to tube 3 and the other pump parts which might occur if an operator applied excessive force in moving arcuate member 46 toward rotor 38. With the present arrangement arcuate member 46 is resiliently biased toward rotor 38 by spring 48 and this provides proper operation of the pump regardless of the amount of force applied to finger lever 54 by an operator.

As shown in FIGURE 4 a shroud member 59 is secured over flange 36 to close space 37. Shroud 59 is held in place by screws, only one of which is shown at 60 in FIGURE 6, threaded into holes 61, 62 and 63 formed in projections in space 37 as shown in FIGURE 5. Tube 3 extends from beneath clamping member 44 in space 37 through a hole in shroud member 59 and along the inside top wall of the shroud as shown in FIGURE 6. Inserted into the outlet end of tube 3 is a check valve member 64. The rear end of valve 64 serves as a grasping tab for inserting the forward end into tube 3, and also serves as an anchor for valve 64 and the outlet end of tube 3 by means of hole 65 which is tightly fitted over a projection 66 extending down from the inside top wall of shroud 59. As shown in FIGURE the width of the forward portion of valve 64 is substantially greater than the inside diameter of tube 3. When valve 64 is inserted into the end of tube 3 the tube is stretched considerably and the tendency of the tube to return to its original shape causes tight frictional engagement between the tube and the side edges of he forward portion of valve 64. As shown in FIGURE 12 the thickness of the forward portion of valve 64 is less than the internal diameter of tube 3, and the opposite faces 67 and 68 are curved outward slightly from one side edge to the other. The side edges of the forward portion of valve 64 are also curved outward slightly so that the forward portion of the valve has no straight surfaces and no inwardly curved surfaces. Thus, the interior surface of tube 3 tightly hugs the forward portion of valve 64 and prevents air leakage into the tube 3 past valve 64. When a positive pressure is built up inside tube 3 the portions of the tube hugging faces 67 and 68 of valve 64 are stretched outward as shown in FIGURE 12a and fluid will flow past check valve 64. The tip of the forward portion of valve 64 is tapered as shown in FIG- URES 9-11 to facilitate insertion of valve 64 into the end of tube 3. The present arrangement provides a novel check valve which is not subject to deterioration or malfunctioning even after long continued operation.

Shroud 59 is formed with a vertically bored centrally located projection 69 as shown in FIGURE 4. A circular piece of urethane foam sponge 70 is placed Within shroud 59 as shown in FIGURES 4 and 6. A fiat circular wobble plate 71 is also placed over projection 69 and within shroud 59 against sponge 70. A split ring 72 snaps over lugs 73-76 on projection 69 to hold wobble plate 71 in place. As shown in FIGURE 6 Wobble plate 71 has a plurality of holes formed therein, only one of which is referenced by a numeral 77. A pin 78 tightly fitted in a hole in the top wall of shroud 59 projects through sponge 70 and hole 77 in wobble plate 71 to prevent relative rotation between the sponge and shroud, and between the sponge and wobble plate. The terminal end 79 of shaft 21 is formed with screw threads for receiving a trapped nut 80 in brush 81. As best shown in FIGURE 8 brush 81 has an elongated hub portion 82 with gear teeth 83 formed thereon. Teeth 83 on brush 81 engage with teeth '84 on pump rotor 38. To place teeth 83 and 84 in driving engagement brush 81 is rotated by hand and threaded slightly onto end 79 of shaft 21. The motor is then turned on to rotate shaft 21 and brush 81 is held against rotation. This causes nut 80 to thread all the way up on threaded end 79 of shaft 21 which moves brush 81 axially upward and draws teeth 83 into meshing engagement with teeth 84. When the device 1 is used only for polishing or the like brushes with an elongated hub and teeth are used so that pump rotor 38 is not rotated and unnecessary wear on the pump parts is eliminated. Projections 85 and 86 are formed on the back of brush 81 with projection 85 being substantially higher than projection 86. As brush 81 is rotated projection 85 causes wobble plate 71 to wobble which in turn causes sponge 70 to be compressed and expanded.

In operation, the device is turned on and the pump is selectively operated by finger lever 54 to draw detergent solution through tube 3 from receptacle 4 and past check valve 64 into sponge 70. The compression and expansion of sponge 70 causes the detergent solution to foam or form suds. The foam passes from sponge 70 through openings 77 in wobble plate 71 and then through openings 87-90 in the back of brush 81. Check valve 64 prevents liquid in tube 3 from draining back into receptacle 4 as the device is usually at a higher elevation than receptacle 4 which is normally on the floor.

FIGURES 13 and 14 show a modified foam generating means wherein urethane foam sponge and wobble plate 161 are mounted on brush 126, and held in place by retainer ring 162 held to the brush by screws. A bored projection 163 extends downward from the inside top wall of shroud 146 as shown. Tube 3 and valve 147 are received in the tapered bore in projection 163 and are retained therein due to the wedging action of valve member 147 against the sides of the tapered bore. Brush 126 has a plurality of holes therein only two of which are referenced by numerals as at 164 and 165. When brush 126 is rotated projection 163 causes wobble plate 161 to wobble which in turn causes alternate compression and expansion of sponge 160. Detergent solution is fed through tube 3 and runs past the outer edge of wobble plate 161 onto sponge 160. The compression and expansion of sponge 160 causes the detergent solution to foam and the foam passes through holes as 164 and 165 in brush 126. Sponge 160 is preferably secured to brush 126 by a suitable adhesive on its outside edge to keep the sponge from rotating with respect to the brush. The use of adhesive has not always been found to be necessary as other securing means can be used and the device has performed satisfactorily with no adhesive or securing means at all. The sponge 70 in FIGURE 6 can also be held to shroud 59 by adhesive rather than pin 78. Likewise, the device has performed satisfactorily with no adhesive or securing means at all. The wedging action of the sponge in the shroud is usually enough to keep the sponge from rotating but long usage may cause the sponge to become loose. In both the embodiment of FIGURE 2 and the embodiment of FIGURE 13 it is possible to mount rotatable rollers on the brush back in place of projections 85 and 86, or on the shroud in place of projection 163. The wobble plate can then be eliminated. The rollers are mounted with their axis of rotation radial from the brush shaft and they compress the sponge progressively when there is relative movement between the sponge and rollers.

While the wobble plate used in the present invention is preferably made of metal it can also be of synthetic plastic material. Also, it is possible to eliminate a rigid wobble plate altogether or to provide a wear element such as a disc of flexible vinyl between the sponge and the contact means to prevent wearing of the sponge.

It will be recognized that the present invention provides a foam generating means which is very simple and yet highly effective to generate foam above a surface being scrubbed. The use of a sponge to produce the foam provides a thick fine celled foam which is quite stable. Passing the detergent solution through the sponge foam generator practically eliminates the leakage and splashing of liquid onto a surface before it is made into foam. Also, the present device can be used on vertical or sloped surfaces as well as horizontal surfaces without losing the effectiveness of the foam generating means.

The present invention is suitable for use on both hand held shampooing and scrubbing devices, and on larger fioor or rug cleaning devices.

It is to be understood that the embodiments shown and described are only illustrative, and are not to be taken in a limiting sense. The present invention includes all equivalent variations of the disclosed embodiments and is limited only by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a shampooing and scrubbing device including:

(a) a first element comprising a casing,

(b) a shaft rotatably mounted on said casing,

(c) power means for rotating said shaft,

((1) a second element comprising scrubbing means mounted on said shaft,

(c) said scrubbing means being spaced axially along said shaft from said casing to define a space between said scrubbing means and said casing axially of said shaft,

(f) a sponge positioned on one of said first and second elements in said space,

(g) contact means on the other of said first and second elements projecting into said space, and

(h) wear means comprising a flat rigid disc member positioned between said sponge and said contact means,

(i) whereby when said scrubbing means is rotated by said shaft there is relative movement between said sponge and said contact means causing said sponge to be alternately compressed and expanded.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said disc member and said sponge are positioned on said casing and said disc member has a plurality of holes therein.

3. A shampooing and scrubbing device comprising:

(a) a casing,

(b) a shaft rotatably mounted on said casing,

(c) power means for rotating said shaft,

(d) scrubbing means having a rigid back portion mounted on said shaft in spaced relation to said casing to define a foam generating space between said casing and said scrubbing means,

(e) sponge means stationarily positioned on said casing in said foam generating space,

(f) contact means on said rigid back portion projecting into said foam generating space, and

(g) means for supplying detergent solution to said sponge means,

(h) whereby when said scrubbing means is moved by rotation of said shaft there is relative movement between said contact means and said sponge means thereby causing said sponge means to be compressed and expanded.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said foam generating space is located directly above said rigid back portion of said scrubbing means, said sponge means is a sponge disc, and said contact means projects upward from said rigid back portion parallel to said shaft whereby said sponge disc is progressively compressed and expanded over 360 degrees when said scrubbing means is rotated and foam is generated over a full 360 degrees.

5. A device according to claim 4 and including a rigid disc defining a wobble plate positioned between said sponge disc and said contact means, said wobble plate having a plurality of holes therein, said contact means comprising a pair of projections extending upwardly from the periphery of said rigid back portion, said projections being positioned substantially degrees apart and one of said projections being substantially higher than the other.

6. A brush for use with a powered scrubbing device having a foam generator thereon comprising:

(a) a circular rigid disc having a back portion and a front portion,

(b) bristles extending downwardly from the periphery of said front portion,

(c) a pair of projections extending upwardly from the periphery of said back portion,

(d) said projections being located substantially 180 degrees apart,

(e) one of said projections extending upwardly from said back portion a substantially greater distance than the other of said projections,

(f) and a hole through the center of said disc for attaching said brush to a rotary shaft.

7. A brush according to claim 6 wherein said disc comprises an outer peripheral ring connected to an inner ring by spokes to define openings through said disc bounded by said inner and outer rings and said spokes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,024,484 3/ 1962 Wallace 1550 3,121,896 2/1964 Allen et al. 15-321 X 3,212,117 10/1965 Ernstberger et al. 155O CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner E. L. ROBERTS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 1 550 

1. IN A SHAMPOONING AND SCRUBBING DEVICE INCLUDING: (A) A FIRST ELEMENT COMPRISING A CASING, (B) A SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CASING, (C) POWER MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT, (D) A SECOND ELEMENT COMPRISING SCRUBBING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, (E) SAID SCRUBBING MEANS BEING SPACED AXIALLY ALONG SAID SHAFT FROM SAID CASING TO DEFINE A SPACE BETWEEN SAID SCRUBBING MEANS AND SAID CASING AXIALLY OF SAID SHAFT, (F) A SPONGE POSITIONED ON ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELEMENTS IN SAID SPACE, (G) CONTACT MEANS ON THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELEMENTS PROJECTING INTO SAID SPACE, AND (H) WEAR MEANS COMPRISING A FLAT RIGID DISC MEMBER POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID SPONGE AND SAID CONTACT MEANS, (I) WHEREBY WHEN SAID SCRUBBING MEANS IS ROTATED BY SAID SHAFT THERE IS RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID SPONGE AND SAID CONTACT MEANS CAUSING SAID SPONGE TO BE ALTERNATIVELY COMPRESSED AND EXPANDED. 